The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-06-04
THE POULTRY-YARD.
Raising Chickens SaiuroIiy.

or all the work connected with poultry,
writes Harry Hales in the Rural Ns,1
Yorker, none is more troublesome or ted
ions than the looking after sitting hens and
their nests While ipcubatjng. If the hens
are allowed to SIT in the poultry house
where they laid, and where other hens are
laying, great many vexntious annoyances
occur. Two hens will sometimes fight for
one nest and so break some of the eggs. or
the sitting hen goes of, and on returning
flnds the nest occupied by an intruder
This State of affairs Is fully SET forth by
persons who strongly recommend incuba-
tors but as every farmer has not time 10
attend to an Incubator, i will give little
OF my own experience III raising chickens
by the natural method, air d bv plan
when most farmers can follow.
1 have small building divided by a
wire partition into two parts, with n door
from one TO the other, and a small ward
made with wire netting, also divided.
have slide from each compartment into
each yard. The size of the house will de-
pend on the number of chickens desired.
Two rooms Axe feet, with yards twice that
size, VIII be large enough for fourteen hens
to Sit III, and If these sit twice II will be
equal 10 hfty-slx sitting hens. In most
cases the houses may be used a third time,
When my hens get broody | set n lot to-
gether IN one house, using small, shallow
boxes TOR nests-not over eleven or twelve
inches sluare-so that two hens can not
crowd INTO enc nest. | set these on the
floor all around the sides and q few inches
apart, so that greedy hen can not reach
the eggs from the next nest as such hens
are very apt to break the tenth commar d.
ment- l leave water and food IN he house,
so that the hens can eat or drink ut any
time when they come off the nests. There
are no perches in the houses or ANYTHING
they can get on above the nests. 4 dust
box sunk level with the floor, with sand and
ashes, and with little carbolate Of lime or
carbohc acid sprinkled in from time TO time,
placed where the sun shines on it through
the windows on clear days, will keep the
hens clear of parasites. little sod or
grass IN the yards is good for their health.
L don't have trouble once in fifty times IN
removing Il sitting hen. ] let her sit few
days in the nest she has been laying in, to
see that she is in earnest, then l remove her
one evening TO the sitting house, place her
nest on the floor (as above and if q num-
Der of others can be removed at the san. a
time, so much the better. Then | hang
something up over the window to shade the
light little. This may remain for a few
days until one learns that all means bust
ness, and as soon as they settle down the
shade should be reno ed, and the slides
into the yards may be left open that
hens may get fresh air whenever they
please.
The advantage OF this system may be
ensily seen by those who have had to spend
large portion on their valuable time in
spring watching the sitting hens or lifting
them OF and driving them back to their
nests every day. AS many as possible
should be set at or about the same time-a
few days nre not of much consequences
that If the hens change nests II would be OF
no Importance, and if there are no moro
nests than hens and the nests are a little
way from each other, so that the hens can
not quarrel, things will go on very
smoothly, and much loss of time and vexa-
ton Will be avoided.
The second batch of sitting hens should
be set in the next compartment so that they
all come out together in the same way as the
first The house should be we'll ventilated
every day aud never be tightly closed. AS
the hens hatch they should be removed with
the chicks to their coops where it ls in
tended 10 raise them.
The outlay of money for such building
to those who raise any number of chickens
Is triling compared with the outlay of time
required by the old fashioned way. and
much is saved, as the hens do not break SO
many eggs. OF course, The nests should be
looked to and kept clean, but if little sui
phur be sprin kled in them, or, what is bet
ter, some tobacco stems be used with the
straw in making them mp, few viii be
troubled with vermin. The hens should
be lifted off at times if they do not get off
Of their own accord 10 see that no broken
eggs foul the nests. II only few chick
ems are wanted, a place AXIS feet, with a
low roof and door opening outward in
each room, if divided, will answer we'll.